Chapter 25
"What?" Vickram asked dazed.
What she was saying was making no
sense. Why would they want to kill him?
Sugni closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I
better start from the beginning.'
She said.
"A few days ago, I
went to one of RKji's Hotels
to pick up a lunch order for Memsaab, I had to wait for it, so I took
a seat in the dining area. I was surprised when I saw that on the table right in front of me, sat Reva
madam, Neeranjan and that Doctor lady. They were laughing at something funny, and I heard
them mentioned your name. I got curious about what they were saying so I moved closer. Reva
was saying that it was a stoke of genius
by the Doctor to get her to the city
so no one would know what
was happening. She said that they needed
to move fast for the plan to work and something about delaying the
divorce...because that was not part of the
plan. And they needed the plan to go into place before
the divorce can go
through."
"Plan?? What Plan?" Vickram asked still not fully
comprehending what she was saying.
" Sh-She wanted to be the "Widow of Thakur Vickram
Singh" ...she said. Vickram looked at her
with raised eyebrows, " I know I thought I heard wrong...but they were all
laughing and then her brother said this
time it would happen. Cause they
had the Doctor on their side. Then Reva was saying she managed to turn Maaji against you...with her story of you
abusing her and she thought she had "the old lady" on her side it all but at the last minute she changed
her mind and was no longer
pressuring you. And now it seemed
that the divorce could not be avoided. I guess they
were talking about Maa Sahib.
I saw Reva give the Doctor something, maybe money and in return the Doctor handed her a medicine bottle she said that they needed to use it wisely...so it looks natural.
She said they knew what to do. Thakur
Mallick I don't know what is going on but it's not good. And then they started saying some craziness that made no sense."
"What...tell me everything!"
Vickram said. His disbelief
turning into slow anger over what
he was hearing.
"She said she wasn't like
the first Reva? And
and that she knew how to play her cards least she end up like her...Then
Neeranjan said he was lucky he
found her...other wise he would have lost
it all. He said something about his
sister being a fool that was why she ended up
where she was.. It was like they
were talking about another person or something. It sounded like they did something to her. I don't know it made no sense to me.
I was going to call you but I was
afraid
maybe they would find out I did. So I came back to tell you myself. Then when I came this morning... I went to see
Ramu Kaka to let him know I was back
and when I was coming through the Kitchen
I saw her in there by herself...she was
putting that pill from the bottle into
the tea she made for you. "
She said. Vickram recalled her coming in and dropping the
spoon, and Reva's reaction to that.
"That's why you spilled..." She nodded.
"What ever they are doing ...they've
been planning It for a while, by the way they
were talking." She said.
Vickram leaned back on the
chair...still trying to process what he
just herd. "Wait ...you're saying that they are planning to
kill me and make it look like
natural? But they need to do it
before the divorce is finalized." She nodded. Quickly he remembered all the delays Dr. Suman
had. Telling him she needed him
to wait a few Months...Reva insisting on going into the city. Reva telling him she was not giving up the title no
matter what. Vickram s head was
starting to spin with this development. His blood was running cold and he felt as though he was going to be
sick. They were trying to kill him?
"Thakkur Mallick?" Sugni said , looking at him. He
look lost . Oh God! "Thakkur Mallick?" She said lightly tapping his face trying to snap him out of the daze he seemed
to have gone into.
"Huh?" He said shaking his head.
Slowly his anger was beginning to
ignite. They were playing a game with
him? , with his life?. over some
materialistic wealth and status. ? The
more he processed this
the angrier he became
until he felt he would literally
explode. Getting up from the
chair he kicked the ottoman out of the
way needing to do something about
it he began walking towards the door.
The look on his face was
thunderous and frightening and Sugni was afraid he might do something he
would definitely regret. "Thakur Mallick ...Wait where are you
going?" She asked standing up and
swiftly walking behind him.
"There not getting away with
this..." he said his hand on the door
knob.
"NO WAIT! " Sugni said holding back his hand. He was breathing
rapidly she knew that in his state of
rage if he went into the main house all hell would break loose.
"You can't...Thakur Mallick...come
back have a seat..." She said
Sugni I..."
"I know...but just calm down
a little think ...please come back..." She said tugging him towards
the couch. "Sit ...Please"
Vickram sat. Rubbing her hand soothingly on his fore arm trying to calm him down. She was wondering
how to handle this situation. "if you
confront them now...they'll never admit it. In fact they'll probably say you're mad." She said.
"I can't just sit here..." he said
"I know...Shhh..." She said
trying to calm him down. "Thakur
Mallick..." she said as he turned to look
at her. She caressed his face looking
into his eyes that were burning with
anger and hurt at the moment.
" Dealing with
this in anger won't help. You might just make it worse. Whatever they are doing they are being smart about it...turning you into the bad one. They'll probably find a
way to turn it around on you now
as well. All you have to go on is
something I overheard. There is no proof
that it is true. I am not even sure it's
true." She said
Vickram nodded. She was right . Flying off the handle would not help. Taking a deep breath he tried to get control of his anger. "You're right." As he got calmer he started thinking about what she just told him. "tell me
again...what was this about Reva
...?" He asked
"I don't know , even I was
confused about that it was as
though they were talking about another
person. Oh Ummm Neeranjan said ...um He was lucky to have found her when he did...and she saved him for loosing it
all.!" She said.
"Thakur Mallick What happened? I mean
they said she had disappeared for a
while before you came back? But what really
happened?" Sugni asked
"...I was
away on a business trip
and um Maaji called and told me she went driving and did
not return. I came back and the
police had found the car she was driving
...bloodied but she was not in it. It was abandoned in the woods. Funny she had no business being there..bu t with her she sometimes got these whims
to go somewhere. If I was'nt
around Neeranjan would go with her. But when we asked him he said she
stopped for gas and asked him to
get her some snacks, only to drive off and leave him behind. We looked for her for months and could not find her. The police finally told me
they think we should give
up...thinking she probably got
attacked by animals or something." Sugni grimaced at
that.
"Then when I was about to give up,
Neeranjan comes with her. She
said she fell unconscious and lost her
memory and began wandering when she got
up, some people found her and put her in a hospital where she was
admitted. Then one day
they herd her mumbling an address and called Neeranjan who got her." He
finished looking at Sugni.
"Convenient huh?"
"So he did not tell you that they contacted him or anything?"
"No he simply
showed up with her just as I was
about to leave for Mahawri.!"
"Wow" Sugni said . This
story was unbelievable.
"Maybe..." Vickram mused. "Who he
returned with was not Reva at all.
Maybe she was some one else. Thinking back on it. She looks like Reva, She acts like Reva...but she never
felt like Reva." He said
"What do you mean?"
She asked.
"I mean...she was more cold, I don't know " he said
"Cold?"
"Yeah.." Vickram said thinking.
"See Reva was erratic. A lot of it was
because of her illness. She never liked
seeing people upset , if she knew she upset some one by her behavior she try to apologies or make up for that behavior. Yet ever since her return it's like she enjoys
being mean. .." he trailed off lost in thought. His mind
going over the past year trying to connect the dots.
"But then...if this isn't her...what
happened to her? What did they do to her?"
She asked.
"I don't know ...but I'll find out. First things first.
I need to prove this for myself. If this is true." He said.
"How?" She asked curious
to know.
" I don't know ...let me think...let me think ..." he
said tapping his forehead."There's
one way! But I'll need your help. Will you?'
"Yes..but what would I have to
do.' She asked
He explained what he wanted her to do .
"But what would that prove?" She wanted to know.
"let's just say it's a sure way to know if
she is who she says she is or someone
else, depends on how she reacts to it."
"Hmmm...ok even I want to know ...maybe I am wrong" She said.
"I don't think you are. In some weird
way this makes sense." He said. He sighed tiredly.
They
both sat in silence for a while ,
each lost in their own thoughts about what was just revealed. Both in disbelief that someone could
stoop that low as to do this . And wondering how to deal with it.
. Reaching over and holding her
hand again, moving closer to her , until ther was hardly any
space between them Sugni bent her
head looking at her lap, closing her
eyes. She may have come back here to warn
him but the fact remained she left
for a reason. Her principles. She
knew coming back here would have some consequences , she was putting everything she
believed in on the line here. Sugni could fight everything...but she was losing this battle
with her heart and her principles.
"Sugni?" He said. She shook her
head, not daring to look at him.
Vickram placed his hand on her chin , gently lifting her head to look at him.
"look at me." He whispered.
Sugni swallowed hard, as she slowly
opened her eyes to look at him. Memories of the last time they were both
here flashing through her brain.
"This is not easy for you
, is it being back here?" He asked.
She shook her head , no it wasn't.
"Yet you came back , despite everything.." He said.
"I had to...I couldn't just sit
and do nothing. I mean if some
kind of weird unreal dream I'll be
happy...but if there is any truth in it
you should know." She said. "I just did'nt think it would be this hard." She said.
"I am sorry Sugni..." He said
"You know the
hardest part?" She said looking
at him.
"What?"
" Seeing you at the table this
morning...I felt like it was my fault. Thakur mallick, I lerned a few things being away and I realize . Nothing is really
as simple as we all wish it was,
Marriages , divorce, love.I had a lot of principles growing up, my own version
of what was right and wrong, and now I
would give it up just to see you happy. " She said, her heart giving in , as her
brain gave up the fight. "Theres just somethings you can't fight no matter how hard you
try." She said tearfully. Vickram looked
at her as her words sank in. The realization that she was willing to give up
everything she ever believed in for him
was over whelming and daunting. She was the last person on earth he wanted to
hurt, yet he was the reason she was
crying. If he could'nt make her
happy then he had no right to make her
miserable yet, now that she was here again
he wondered if he could survive losing her a second time around.
Vickram hugged her as she cried
no one told her being in love was this painful. "Don't cry...Sugni...it' s not your fault. You're
not responsible for anything. You know for my whole life
I've done what everyone else
wanted me to do . Until I could't handle it any more, my marriage was
at the point where it was
feeling not like a responsibility
but a weight that was dragging me down. Then
I fell in love and for the first time I
realized how empty my life really is.
Sugni if there was anything in my
life worth anything, it was you. You
were the only one who did not see me as some sort of self-centered cad. Whenever
I felt like I was drowning , you somehow pulled me out of it unknowingly. You are the reason, I survived this long., the reason I crawl out of bed in
the morning. The reason I face every
day. If it wasn't for you I probably
wouldn't." He said.
"Why does this have to be so
hard?" She asked.
"I wish I knew, I wish I knew. You've just been caught in some twisted game of fate that it
seems none of us have any control of
really" Pulling back he looked at her.
"Sugni...don't do this to yourself
...I"ll arrange for your ticket tomorrow
and you can go back." He said.
"No...no, I
won't go . If I go back now I'll go crazy wondering
what's going on here." She said. There stared at each other .
"Sugni..."
"I know, it's wrong. Thakur Mallick, apart
form my mother , the only person who cared about me and my well-being
has been you. Whenever I was in
trouble or needed you, you've always
been there for me. And now, for me to go back and leave you alone , I
could never live with myself if I did that. Besides when you love someone, you don't leave them when they
need you the most do you?"" She
said softly.
Vickram felt his own resolve
to send her back wobble.
He could no more do that, than he could
stop his own heart from beating.
"You're sure about this?" he asked her. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath
and nodded. He knew she was still battling with herself .
"Come here." He said, opening his arms to her. Sugni
knew that this was the moment of
no turning back. Everything she ever boasted about saying she would never do , she was about to
throw out the window. And this time she
could not blame anyone else
for this but herself. Maybe she made that choice when she decided to come back...or before
then on that rainy night
when she let him in here. Unlike the previous hug
which was one of comfort and compassion.
This one meant so much more. It was her
embracing a life she swore she never would. It was her choosing her heart over her brain.
Slowly She leaned into his embrace
as she rested her head on his chest as his arms closed in around her.
"Sugni"
"hmmm?"
"I love you." He said . She felt him kiss the top of her head.
"I love you." She whispered.
"I promise you something, right now," He said. "Until
this whole thing is
resolved, and until I am not free from my
marriage, I promise you there
will never be anything more than this between us.!" At this Sugni lifted her head to look at
him. Not sure she understood what he meant.
"I know how much your principles mean to you Sugni, your dreams of leading a respectable
life.It took a lot for you to do what you just did, and I am not going to be
the one to destroy that. You're not a bedni, and I'll never treat
you like one. I promise." He said.
Sugni sat up to look at him. A part of her albeit a small part of her
relived. Then again she did not know why this should come as a surprise. This was her
Thakur Mallick. She remembered having a conversation with him once , when she told him she knew
that he would not let her go down the wrong path, even if she wanted to. And so true he lived up to her conviction.
"But I just ask one thing..." He
said.
"What's that?"
"If there is any part of you that
has any doubt , or want to leave now I
won't stop you. Because this is not going to be easy. And it could get
ugly, where people around here have a lot to say about things they don't know about. If you want to go..."
She shook
her head.
"You sure?"
She nodded.
"This is your last chance...because after this... I won't let you go!"
He said, pointing a warning finger
at her .
She laughed "I am sure ...I am not leaving."
She said. This time she hugged him. "I'm
here to stay!"
"Thank you Sugni!..." Vickram
whispered. Despite all that was
wrong in his world at the moment, at least there was one thing that was
right. ...
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